


Holiday Traditions

by orphan_account



Series: Merthur Drabbles [9]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blind Character, Christmas Fluff, Disabled Character, Established Relationship, Human Aithusa, Kid Aithusa, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 10:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5371313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With Aithusa's eyesight rapidly degenerating, Arthur and Merlin need to think of a way to make sure she can still enjoy Christmas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holiday Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> Because [Cricket](http://archiveofourown.org/users/the5leggedcricket) and [Diana](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Diana_Prallon) wanted me to write something about blind!Aithusa being sad because she couldn't enjoy the holiday decorations any more.

“Daddy?” Arthur felt a bump on his heel, then an insistent tug on his pant leg. He turned around to where his daughter was standing, making sure not to catch his feet on her cane.

 

“What is it, ‘Thusa?” he asked, kneeling down to her level. Her eyes instinctively flicked towards his voice, but the milky blue irises didn’t make contact with his own. The little girl’s lip trembled, and Arthur scooped her into his arms. 

 

“Are we still going to Avalon this year?” she asked, voice quivering. 

 

Arthur stood up with a grunt, Aithusa in his arms. “Why wouldn’t we?” he replied, keeping his tone light. He ran a comforting hand over her back, turning towards the living room. “It’s Christmas, after all. We’ve been doing that since you were little!” Truth be told, Arthur had been asking himself the same question.

 

“But...but…” Aithusa sniffed, tears beginning to streak down her face. Arthur shushed her comfortingly, but his brow was furrowed. The past year had been rough on all of them, but Aithusa had borne the brunt of it. Despite her retinoblastoma being in remission, they had caught it too late, and now she could do no more than distinguish between light and dark.

 

“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” soothed Arthur. “I’m sure we can find something else to do. We can have hot chocolate, and Papa can read  The Night Before Christmas -”

 

“But we always did,” Aithusa hiccuped, “and now I can’t.” Arthur winced. Going to see the Christmas decorations at the Avalon Shopping Centre had been the first Christmas tradition that he and Merlin had made, and when they adopted Aithusa, they’d taken her with them as well. She’d loved to point out all the garlands hanging from the rafters, giggling at the elves and polar bears and squealing when the fake snow rained down upon them. But now…

 

“What’s wrong?” Merlin asked, entering the living room, Killy hot on his heels. The dog began nosing at Aithusa’s feet comfortingly, and Arthur let his daughter down so she could pet him. 

 

“Aithusa’s not feeling up to our usual holiday outing this year,” he explained. Merlin pursed his lips, deep in thought. Suddenly, his face brightened.

 

“I know what we can do instead!” Merlin snapped his fingers. “Come on, gang, we’re going shopping!”

 

As Arthur unloaded Aithusa from the car seat, he looked at Merlin skeptically.

 

“A Christmas store? Really?” he hissed under his breath. 

 

“Don’t worry,” Merlin chirped. “I have just the thing in mind. Well, several things.” He took Aithusa’s hand, ruffling her snow-white hair happily. 

 

“We’re at a Christmas store,” he explained. Aithusa’s face immediately fell behind her pink-tinted sunglasses. 

 

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Arthur soothed, shooting Merlin a glare. “Papa’s got a special treat for you in here.” Although she was still reluctant, Aithusa allowed her fathers to lead her through the store. 

 

Merlin stopped them in front of a display of little wooden men, all with open mouths. Arthur squinted at the label, trying to decipher the German on them. 

 

“You put cones inside and light them,” Merlin explained, giddy with excitement. “We’ll get one, and then you can choose how they smell, Aithusa.” The little girl’s face lit up, and she eagerly held out her hands for Merlin to place samples in them. They spent fifteen minutes going through all of them, until Aithusa decided she wanted the sandalwood scented one.

 

Next, Merlin dragged them to the ornament stand, detailing everything he saw on the way. He picked an ornament off the shelf, a bauble with glitter snowflakes on it. Gingerly placing it in Aithusa’s hands, he let her feel the decorations on it. Arthur smiled as Aithusa ran her fingers over the ornaments, picking out the ones she liked and placing them in their cart. They raided the gingerbread samples, Merlin stuffing as many cubes of bread into his mouth as he could and making them all laugh. By the time they had explored every inch of the store, Aithusa was happier than Arthur could remember her being since she started to lose her sight. 

 

As they piled into the car, decorations, scents, and gingerbread mix in tow, Arthur gave Merlin a quick kiss.

 

“That was brilliant,” he said softly. Merlin grinned, eyes crinkling up into slits. 

 

“It was, wasn’t it?” he replied. “I think we’ve just found our new holiday tradition.”

 

“Now who wants some hot chocolate?” Arthur whooped as he pulled the driver’s door shut. 

 

“Meee!” cried Merlin and Aithusa simultaneously, and they all burst into laughter. Arthur shook his head fondly as he pulled out of the parking lot, his daughter and husband still giggling. There really was nothing quite like Christmas.

 


End file.
